Hunan’s Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and Sestroretsk,
a municipal town in St. Petersburg, Russia, reached an agreement on
establishing international friendship city relationship on December 17, 2020.
Long Xiaohua, head of Xiangxi prefecture, and Ivanov Andrey Vladimirovich, head
of Sestroretsk, communicated via a video call, and signed the agreement.
Agreement signing ceremony.
The contacts between Xiangxi and Sestroretsk began in 2017. Xiangxi was invited to set a presentation area at the ceremony of the 303rd anniversary of Sestroretsk’s founding on September 3 that year. Over the past three years, the two places had enhanced communications in economic, trade, and cultural fields. In this August, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) approved the establishment of friendship city ties. Thus, Sestroretsk becomes Xiangxi’s fourth friendship city, after Chinon and Ange of France (Ange is a county-level friendship city of Xiangxi’s Fenghuang), and Tsantsabanea of South Africa.
Ivanov Andrey Vladimirovich, head of Sestroretsk, delivers a speech.
Ivanov Andrey Vladimirovich noted that, the Sestroretsk delegation was warmly received during their visit in Xiangxi in March 2018. The two places reached an intent to establish friendship city relationship. Since then, bilateral cooperation has been enhanced, especially the cultural communications. Chinese delegations and cultural and art groups made several visits to Sestroretsk, and were welcomed by the people in Sestroretsk. He believed that, as the pandemic ends one day, the relations between Xiangxi and Sestroretsk will be further promoted, and the economic, cultural, and history development of both countries will achieve win-win results.
Long Xiaohua, head of Xiangxi, speaks.
Long remarked that, Xiangxi and Sestroretsk share strong complementarities in culture, economy and trade, and tourism. Since 2017, the two governments have organized high-level visits, and friendly interactive activities, which have resulted in fruitful outcomes. The signing of the agreement marks a new start of bilateral relations, and also a milestone of the exchange and cooperation between the two places. It will be etched in the history, and set an example for friendly communications between countries and regions. She hoped Xiangxi and Sestroretsk will further boost cooperation, cement friendship, and promote economic and social development of both sides.
This article is
from Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.
Translator: Pang Yuehui
Chinese source: hunan.voc.com.cn
